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The 2006-07 Outward Bound catalog arrived the other day! This is the third year I’ve thought, “Maybe this year.”
Backpacking and Sailing are my top choices.
Comments:
Summer before last....
I was ready and set to go to an Outward Bound in Colorado summer before last. They called about an hour after I faxed my final physical exam, saying that I couldn’t do it because I have sickle cell trait, which often causes breathing difficulties at high altitudes. It’s never bothered me, but they have their rules. I have the new catalogue, and I’m making plans. Backpacking and kayaking are my top choices.
Hey, how’s your fitness level? Do you train every day?
backpacking is cool!
I’d say my fitness level is moderate. In the spring/summer I train everyday – but in the winter it’s more like 2-3 times week. (Doing the Nordic Trac indoors is just not as much fun as riding/running outside!)
It’s cool that your making plans; I’m still at the dreaming state. The soonest I could possibly do a trip would be October 2006 (but it’s much more likely to be 2007).
How about this?
Would you like to communicate on our training and progress towards going Outward Bound?
It's a Plan!
Sounds good to me!
Have you settled on a specific couse?
Not Sure, but ....
Probably a kayaking course. I’ll still see whether I can get a backpacking one, but lots of those seem to be at high altitudes, and I told you about my issue last time.
Maybe I will aim for Oct. 2006.
I had an unforeseen schedule change last week. They put us on 12 hours shifts (I’m a cop-in-training, you see.), and that threw off my work-out. Luckily, I’ve been very consistent, so I didn’t miss a beat fitness-wise. I’m back to my basic lifting , doing squats, benching, and rows. I’m also doing my daily yoga, and my martial arts.
I’ll get out to run when the weather clears a bit. I run with wrist weights, which I think will be very helpful with the rowing bit.
Just Now
Had a great weight lifting session. Tomorrow will be running and martial arts. I’m also going to contact Outward Bound to see what they suggest as far as fitness preparation.
Way to go!
Well, this online comunication thing is working – ‘cause you inspired me to stay on that stupid nordic trac for an extra 20 minutes (which made for one good long workout!)
If it’s decent enough tomorrow, I just might go rent snowshoes and play at a nearby nature preserve tomorrow. (This indoor thing makes me CRAZY!)
Working at a Steady Pace
Ok, yesterday was a squat-row-bench-press-twenty-minute-run-with-weights day. Today, we’re doing shoulders and arms. Yoga is always a given.
Tell me about the nature preserve and your snowshoe expedition. Where do you live? Sounds nice. :-)
Oh, your 17-member Blond Squad is collectively BEAUTIFUL!
P.S.
How many push-ups can you do?
Snow Shoeing
So about a year ago, I went snowshoeing with a couple of Girl Scouts. We went out onto the lake and played snowshoe-tag. Except, we were all brand-new-baby snowshoers, and spent most of the time falling. (And, if anyone didn’t seem to be falling enough, we made sure to “tag” them extra-hard and knock ‘em over into the snow!)
Killer-shoeshoe tag was great.
But, shoeshoeing with good equipment minus teenagers was even better! I was able to really get going without falling! It was a beautiful day (with icy/crunchy snow, and a little bit of sunshine). Wrods can not expres how good it was to breathe fresh air, see sunshine, and trek through the park!
Push Ups
Official Answer – I’m recovering from a tendon injury. Flexing my wrist and straightening the arm would be painful enough – adding weight would just be stupid!
The Honest Answer – I haven’t done push-ups since my High School P.E. classes.
We always lined up in alphabetical order, and the fella next to me was a senior planing to enlist in the Marines. He counted his pushups the normal way (1,2,3) and I counted by 5’s (It seemed like a fair way to race!!!)
Canyons and Mountains
I’m looking at the catalogue, and I’m thinking about an adult-tailored canyon hike, or a Sierra Nevada mountain hike. I don’t feel as though I need the decreased load and distance of the adult-tailored stuff, but the time periods (7 days) would probably work well for me.
Saturday was martial arts, weight running, and yoga. Sunday was weights and yoga. Today was yoga.
Every other day, I do 100 sit-ups, 50 with a 20 pound weight, and 50 without.
Feeling great!
Hey! Just checking in. Today I ran for about twenty minutes, maybe a half-hour, with weights, benched and squated, and did some yoga and martial arts.
How’s the progress?
Feeling Blah
Thanks for checking in, I needed to see your message today. (And was thinking about you on the drive home tonight).
It’s been a bad week on Planet Julie. I haven’t even been taking my little lunchtime walks.
No excuses. Just feeling crummy (and then it becomes a vicious circle because inactivity just adds to the blah-ness).
So the goal for this weekend is to push through it (even if I’m below the THR for a day or two). I’ll check in again on Monday.
Pacing
Ok, set a date, and gird yourself up for a good vigorous work-out on that day. Just pace yourself back into the flow of things.
What’s your diet like? What do you snack on?
I did a weighted run up to my dojang, did martial arts for about two hours, then ran back. And … you know … I thought about what snowshoing to my martial arts school would be like. LOL.
Monday’s the start of a new week. We’ll both refocus.
I think that I’ll start looking at courses next month when my schdule normalizes and I know what sort of leave/vacation time I have.
Talk to you on Monday.
Better than the Standard American Diet
“Snacks” generally tend to be the same sort of stuff I have for breakfast/lunch (yogurt, cookies, cheese, muffins, bread, fruit, crackers, peanut butter, pudding, etc). Most of it is homemade, and I’m one of the lucky ones that can trust my body’s hunger signals (or not-hungry signals).
4-5 nights a week I eat dinner with other people (and share cooking responsibilties). Some of those meals can tend toward pre-processed, greasy, junk; but it’s worth it to eat, talk, and laugh with people.
(I believe that any artery clogging properties of tatter tot casserole can be canceled out by enjoyable company!)
Community
Now, that’s great! I envy you that you have a community like that. Very cool. Tell me more. Are you a circle of friends from way back? I’d like something like that.
I start the day with oatmeal, including flax, berries, and soy.
I snack on fruit and veg. I drink only tea, water, and the occasional fruit juice.
It’s rare that I eat anything that I don’t prepare. Now, when I eat restaurant food, it’s usually from organic, health-food places. I’m a regular at a Carribean vegetarian place out here.
I ate something … I don’t recall what … that was prepackaged the other day, and had a pretty bad reaction.
Feeling Better
Friday – Short walk with dog (mostly for fresh air and sunshine)and then 30 minutes on Nordic Trac (working way below what I have been).
Saturday – two hours of sledding(and chasing rabbit tracks) with a 3 year old. The highlight of my winter so far!
Sunday – way too sore from sledding. (climbing up that hill while towing a kid was apparently a great workout!) A few of low intensity on the stationary bicycle was plenty.
Today – short bit on Nordic Trac before work and a short walk between work and an evening meeting.
Not yet feeling 100%. But moving in the right direction (and sledding was terriffic!)
Outstanding!
Glad to hear that you’re back on the Outwardbound trail. And I’m glad to hear that you worked out even when sore. That’s the mark of a go-getter.
I ran for about 20, lifted for legs, chest, bicepts, and later I’ll do martial arts.
Where do you live btw. Maybe you told me this. I don’t recall. I’m in Baltimore; it’s not pretty, but it’s home.
Good Morning Baltimore!
My only Baltimore experience is watching the musical HairSpary.
(And it was a spelling word in 7th grade – but that doesn’t really count).
Currently, my home is in the great state of Minnesota. I came for grad school, and haven’t found a good reason to leave yet (If the right job comes up, I’ll move. But I’d love to stay here).
Disturbed
Just did about 20 minutes of stepping with weights to “The Sickness” by Disturbed. After that, I did some yoga.
Yoga Questions
Do you do your yoga with a video? (Which one?)
Do you put together your own routine? (Does it vary from day to day?)
Have you taken a class?
All of the Above
Sometimes, I use DVD’s (Look for Sara
Ivanhoe, Sean Corn ((Future potential member of the blond squad)), and Karen Voight.)
I’ve studied it with my martial arts teacher, and we do yoga as our warm-up before class.
Based on all of that, I occasionally create my own routine. Yeah, it does vary from day to day, but I try to keep a lot of the same postures linked together.
Really look into Sara Ivanhoe.
A Yoga Story
You’re lucky to have a teacher to work with you. I really really really wanted to get into yoga a few years ago, but got stuck.
I tried a yoga workshop at a nearby dance studio with a completely unqualified instructor. Someone recomended a video (Patricia Walden) which I did for a few months, but t.v. feels antithetical to yoga. (Although Patricia had a great teaching style and non-irratating voice, which I appriciated).
I’ll put Sara Ivanhoe on my list to check out sometime. What do you like about her videos?
On all things Ivanhoe
Sara has struck a nice balance between energized, and nonirritating. She speaks to the common problems and limitations that students often have, and she challenges you to progress.
I also like the way she breaks things down and explains how one pose connects to the next.
Ok, she’s pretty cute, as well. :-)
Yoga Tonight
Tonight feels like a good night for extended yoga … as soon as my stir-fry settles.
check in
Hey!
It’s back to the weights and yoga tonight. What’s your fitness status? What was your last work-out like?
I just keep visualizing stepping off for the first Outward Bound yomp.
Really … I am rather envious of the connections that you have. I love being there for people, having them there for me, and … as I work to strengthen my ties to friends and family … I feel healthier and happier. I would like to share more meals with those who matter to me … just not the tatter tot thing. Don’t know if I could stomach that.
Well, I’m off to make tofu for tonight.
Cheers!
Ed
Finally. . .
After more than a week of just going through the motions, I (finally) felt well enough to resume full intensity workouts on Tuesday. (To paraphrase the cheesiest song you’ve never heard – “It feels good to feel good!”)
The plan is to do another high intensity session tonight – and something fun over the weekend. (Fun thing is yet to be determined).
Way to Go!
It does feel good, doesn’t it? Glad to hear that you’re back on your figurative horse.
Today I ran with weights, did yoga, lifted for chest and arms, and did two hours of Hapkido.
Oh! Tonight was vegetarian bratwurst, baked potatoes with rice butter, and sour kraut. And white tea. Always green or white tea.
New Weights!
I had a great martial arts session, and I got a new universal dumbell set. I’m going to take my lifting program up a notch with more weight and intensity.
How’s it going for you?
Now that felt great!
I lifted for chest and arms today, then had a protein shake. How’s your preparation going?
Whew!
I missed my normal Tuesday/Thursday workouts due to work obligations (and was feeling cranky/tense because of it).
Yesterday, I weaseled out of an event and de-stressed on the treadmill for about an hour. (And life was good again!)
Tonight is going to be another long workout to kill a few more stress monsters. Then it’s back to work madness for a few more days (not complaining – I love my job!)
Feeling Stronger
Glad to hear that you’re managing the stress monsters. There will be a day during which you are on a trail during your Ouwardbound experience, and you’ll feel all of the work that you’ve done on your strength and endurance.
Today, I took a weighted run, lifted for arms and lats, and did some yoga. Feels great.
Keep up the good work.
I see what you mean.
I just graduated from the Police Academy, and my celebration was to sit at a long table with friends and family, all of us chatting and laughing. That was fun.
Today, I added more weight, then did a rigorous yoga routine.
I feel good.
I’ll be working out my leave schedule soon, and when I do … Outward Bound.
What a Work-out!
I did my 85-minute-long Sean Corn DVD after lifting for shoulders. I feel like my whole being is glowing.
Oh, I’m taking an extra protein/calorie shake everyday to complement my heavier weights.
Can’t wait to get a fix on when I can sign up for Outward Bound!
How's Your Progress?
How has the road to Outward Bound been for you?
I’m still working out at a consistent pattern. My diet is still as it was. I still feel great.
All I need to do is block out some time from my job as a cop, and the paper work in order.
Did you guys end up going to any Outward Bound trip? I’m trying to debate whether the few thousand dollars are worth it. (I’m looking into a semester course). Please tell me about your experience!
No I haven’t yet gone on an Outward Bound trip (and the more I research it, the more it seems that folks who HAVE gone on an OB trip were dissapointed with the experience).
It is very expensive. I have not decided for/against it yet (and if I had $3,000 to spend, I’d certainly jump at the opportunity!)
We’ll see
